2 months ago
Birmingham City are trying to hijack Young Boys' attempts to sign FC Nantes winger Herba Guirassy (19), according to a report from Sacha Tavolieri.
Guirassy accrued Ligue 1 experience at Nantes last season. He played 20 times in Ligue 1, scoring twice, however, it was a disastrous season for Les Canaris, who were relegated to Ligue 2. The FCN academy product has featured prominently in the opening gameweeks of this season, too. In three games in Ligue 2, he has one goal.
However, Nantes have lost all three of their games, sit rock bottom of the league, and have now just sacked their manager, Michal Der Zakarian. Grégory Poirier has come in but Guirassy may not have the chance to play under the former Red Star coach. Interest in acquiring Guirassy is growing. Swiss side Young Boys had already been in talks to sign the France U21 international, however, Birmingham City are trying to hijack the deal and have submitted a bid of their own. Talks are ongoing.
GFFN | Luke Entwistle
#season #birmingham #city
Guirassy accrued Ligue 1 experience at Nantes last season. He played 20 times in Ligue 1, scoring twice, however, it was a disastrous season for Les Canaris, who were relegated to Ligue 2. The FCN academy product has featured prominently in the opening gameweeks of this season, too. In three games in Ligue 2, he has one goal.
However, Nantes have lost all three of their games, sit rock bottom of the league, and have now just sacked their manager, Michal Der Zakarian. Grégory Poirier has come in but Guirassy may not have the chance to play under the former Red Star coach. Interest in acquiring Guirassy is growing. Swiss side Young Boys had already been in talks to sign the France U21 international, however, Birmingham City are trying to hijack the deal and have submitted a bid of their own. Talks are ongoing.
GFFN | Luke Entwistle
#season #birmingham #city
2 months ago
FC Nantes are considering the dismissal of head coach Michel Der Zakarian should Antoine Kombouaré be available for a third spell in the dugout, according to a report on Sunday from Foot Mercato. Les Canaris are in disarray after losing their first two games of the Ligue 2 campaign following their relegation from the first tier in May. Nantes were powerless against Red Star (0-1) and conceded defeat in the dying minutes against Laval (2-1) after a blunder from Tylel Tati.
Nantes targeted an immediate return to Ligue 1 in 2027, but they now sit at the bottom of Ligue 2, which considerably weakens Der Zakarian's position. The former Nantes centre-back previously led Les Canaris to two Ligue 1 promotions, in 2008 and in 2013, in two different spells. But his third one could be cut short.
Foot Mercato reports that Nantes would part ways with Der Zakarian should there is a possibility for Kombouaré to return for a third spell at La Beaujoire. Kombouaré notably won the 2022 French Cup with his formative side. He was dismissed the following season only for him to return in 2024.
Let go at the end of the 2024-2025 campaign, Kombouaré oversaw a remarkable upturn in form at Paris FC, which he led to safety before PFC parted ways with him to appoint Liam Rosenior. Thr 62-year-old Kombouaré reportedly intends to take a short break from management.
GFFN | Bastien Cheval
#ligue #zakarian #canaris
Nantes targeted an immediate return to Ligue 1 in 2027, but they now sit at the bottom of Ligue 2, which considerably weakens Der Zakarian's position. The former Nantes centre-back previously led Les Canaris to two Ligue 1 promotions, in 2008 and in 2013, in two different spells. But his third one could be cut short.
Foot Mercato reports that Nantes would part ways with Der Zakarian should there is a possibility for Kombouaré to return for a third spell at La Beaujoire. Kombouaré notably won the 2022 French Cup with his formative side. He was dismissed the following season only for him to return in 2024.
Let go at the end of the 2024-2025 campaign, Kombouaré oversaw a remarkable upturn in form at Paris FC, which he led to safety before PFC parted ways with him to appoint Liam Rosenior. Thr 62-year-old Kombouaré reportedly intends to take a short break from management.
GFFN | Bastien Cheval
#ligue #zakarian #canaris
4 months ago
Speaking ahead of the return for pre-season, FC Nantes CEO and son of owner Waldemar Kita, Franck, had addressed Les Canaris’ catastrophic 2025/26 campaign, which ended with relegation to Ligue 2.
“When we win, it’s thanks to everyone; when we lose, I take full responsibility. I am the boss, I am the owner of the club, I am the one to blame, first and foremost. I am the only one to blame. I take full responsibility for us coming off the road, this relegation, which I ****** ume entirely,” he began.
His comments were the first made since the club’s relegation to Ligue 2. As is often the case, there was no post-season review with the media. Nantes’ final game of the season, meanwhile, was abandoned in the first half after angry fans stormed the pitch.
Kita was also there to present Nantes’ new manager, Michel Der Zakarian. The club burned through three managers last season, ending the campaign with Vahid Halilhodzic at the helm. Kita said that the degree of change last summer played a big part in the club’s failure.
“It’s true that I like it when there is a bit of stability and the fact that we radically changed things: new players, new coaches, disturbed people’s reference points. We didn’t put anyone in good conditions, in the right context and so, for me, that is why we were relegated.”
“When we win, it’s thanks to everyone; when we lose, I take full responsibility. I am the boss, I am the owner of the club, I am the one to blame, first and foremost. I am the only one to blame. I take full responsibility for us coming off the road, this relegation, which I ****** ume entirely,” he began.
His comments were the first made since the club’s relegation to Ligue 2. As is often the case, there was no post-season review with the media. Nantes’ final game of the season, meanwhile, was abandoned in the first half after angry fans stormed the pitch.
Kita was also there to present Nantes’ new manager, Michel Der Zakarian. The club burned through three managers last season, ending the campaign with Vahid Halilhodzic at the helm. Kita said that the degree of change last summer played a big part in the club’s failure.
“It’s true that I like it when there is a bit of stability and the fact that we radically changed things: new players, new coaches, disturbed people’s reference points. We didn’t put anyone in good conditions, in the right context and so, for me, that is why we were relegated.”
4 months ago
Perhaps FC Nantes needed to be relegated to Ligue 2 to kick off the new era that all the fans have been waiting for. But for Les Canaris, change is not necessarily an idea that everyone is in favour of.
Proof of this can be seen in their attraction to Michel Der Zakarian, 63, who, according to L’Équipe, is being lined up to succeed Vahid Halilhodžić, 74, for whom the end of the season marked the well-deserved end of his career.
Having managed Nantes from February 2007 to August 2008, and then from May 2012 to June 2016, ‘Der Zak’ is seen as the man capable of leading the Stade de la Beaujoire side back to the top flight by the 2027–28 season. A task that seems well within the Armenian coach’s capabilities, having already secured two promotions with FCN, in 2008 and 2013.
A resident of the Nantes area, he was apparently even spotted at the final of the Challenge Espoirs, won by the Nantes youth team a few weeks ago. This is enough to fuel speculation about a… third comeback.
GFFN | Léo Aschi
Proof of this can be seen in their attraction to Michel Der Zakarian, 63, who, according to L’Équipe, is being lined up to succeed Vahid Halilhodžić, 74, for whom the end of the season marked the well-deserved end of his career.
Having managed Nantes from February 2007 to August 2008, and then from May 2012 to June 2016, ‘Der Zak’ is seen as the man capable of leading the Stade de la Beaujoire side back to the top flight by the 2027–28 season. A task that seems well within the Armenian coach’s capabilities, having already secured two promotions with FCN, in 2008 and 2013.
A resident of the Nantes area, he was apparently even spotted at the final of the Challenge Espoirs, won by the Nantes youth team a few weeks ago. This is enough to fuel speculation about a… third comeback.
GFFN | Léo Aschi
